"As is customary for all students at the end of the semester, I meet with them to discuss their final term paper"

She paused.

"Are you ready to talk?  Are you ill?  Then will you please do me the respect of removing your sunglasses."

[She begins by quoting some passages from his paper and tells him that she thinks it's a bunch of tailwater, for lack of a better term.]

"But ma'am it's quite controversial, I can assure you of that.  Without proper tailwater abatement and drainage systems in the cotton fields, the Ogalala's waters will continue to fall.  It's the only source of irrigation water this area has.  It's drinking water for most of the residents as well."

I'm sorry but my decision is final, you need to rewrite your paper.

CF explains that he's leaving today for Austin, his bags are packed.  He doesn't have time to stay and rewrite it.  

Then I guess you'll fail.  I don't think you want to fail.  Every veteran I've ever seen in my class wants only to succeed.  Perhaps you're not a real veteran.  I'm sorry that was uncalled for.  

It's seems pretty obvious to me, just write about the war. (secretly wants him to for more dissertation data)  I'm sure there's plenty of controversial topics to discuss.

I don't want to talk about the war.  End of discussion.

Zoe looked dumbfounded.  

"What's so important in Austin anyway?"

"I have an internship with a firm that working on the dismantling of a water treatment plant along Town Lake.  It's a great opportunity to get some work experience so early in my studies."

Tell you what, I'll let you write a paper about water.  But not tailwater.  It has to be on something else.  You got that.  I'm giving you an incomplete for now, but if I don't get your paper by the end of August, you're getting a "D".